BUDGET PANEL PRESSURES POLICE, FIRE CHIEFS.

Byline: Rick Orlov and Deborah Sullivan Daily News Staff Writers

A Los Angeles city panel grilled Fire Chief William Bamattre on budget issues Friday, and questioned Police Chief Bernard C. Parks about the plans he and Mayor Richard Riordan have advanced to further expand the size of the force.

The Ad Hoc Committee on the Budget repeatedly questioned Parks and Riordan aides over the plans to add 157 officers to the Los Angeles Police Department, in addition to the replacement of 450 officers expected to leave the LAPD this year.

``I am not convinced we are using the federal funds we are getting correctly,'' asserted Councilman Richard Alatorre, who chairs the committee. ``I'm not going to be here, but I don't want to see the federal government coming after us in five years and saying we spent the money improperly.''

Parks, Deputy Mayor Jennifer Roth and Mike Thompson, who heads the criminal grants committee, insisted the federal guidelines were followed in using funds to hire new officers.

``We are only using the money for the new officers,'' Roth said. ``Other money has been set aside in the general fund for the replacement officers.''

Alatorre also voiced a complaint that has been made by officers and the Police Protective League over Parks' tough discipline.

``It seems like you have more officers in Internal Affairs than you have in the (anti-gang) CRASH units,'' Alatorre said.

Parks said captains in different divisions are able to assign officers for different programs and that his discipline program is designed to bring credibility to the public.

``A lot of people did not believe we would follow through on complaints,'' Parks said. ``We are restoring our credibility there.''

The committee closely questioned Bamattre about providing more paramedics.

Councilwoman Laura Chick, head of the council's Public Safety Committee, renewed her call Friday for the city to provide $1.5 million to expand staffing for paramedics and other personnel in the Fire Department's air operations, and between $2 million to $4 million for other paramedic needs, particularly in the San Fernando Valley.

Prodded by Councilman Mike Feuer, who described more paramedics as the department's top priority, Bamattre said he hoped to add paramedic positions in air operations during the coming year.

``It seems to me that if this is your No. 1 priority, you would have come here with a program all prepared and ready to go,'' Alatorre said. ``You tell me the way to fund this, and we'll fund it.''

The council's special budget committee took no final action Friday. Council members are continuing their review of mayor's proposed spending plan for 1999-2000.

Roth said Friday that she has not received a proposal from Bamattre for funds to speed up paramedic response time. She said she has no recommendation on whether to fund such a program.

Roth recommended delaying Chick's request for $1.5 million to boost the Fire Department's air operations staff.

The Mayor's Office has set aside $1.4 million for the department's air operations facilities but questions whether a staffing plan would be completed during the next fiscal year, Roth said.

Chick said she would push to allocate money for paramedics and air operations. ``I'm not going to sit on my hands and wait for the money to be appropriated in next year's budget,'' she said. ``There are human lives at stake.''